‘Yeh tho below the belt treatment ho gaya’ -Fans react as Ravichandran Ashwin says that he knew he was not going to play WTC final 48 hrs prior
Ravichandran Ashwin has opened a can of worms after India’s World Test Championship final (WTC) loss to Australia by 209 runs at the Oval. India did not play Ashwin and went with the four-seamer and one-spinner combination. In the 2021 WTC final, they went with the three-seamer two-spinner combination. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner talked about in length the decision to bench him. He also said that he had played a part in India getting to the WTC final.
“It’s a hard question to answer, right? Because we are standing right after the WTC Final. I would have loved to play because I have played a part in us getting there. Even in the last final I got four wickets and bowled really well,” Ashwin said in an interview with the Hindu. When he was quipped about his performance abroad, he said he had overshadowed his expectations and put up a fantastic performance.
My bowling has been fantastic in overseas conditions since 2018-19 -Ravichandran Ashwin
“Ever since 2018-19, my bowling overseas has been fantastic and I have managed to win games for the team. I am looking at it as a captain or coach and I’m just talking in hindsight, in their defence. So the last time when we were in England, it was 2-2 with a drawn Test and they would have felt 4 pacers and 1 spinner is the combination in England. That is what they might have thought going into the final. The problem is for a spinner to come into play, it must be the fourth innings. The fourth innings is a very crucial facet and for us to be able to put that amount of runs so the spinner can come into play, it’s completely a mindset thing,” The-36-year-old said.
Ashwin further said that he himself is his own critic and that he does not dwell deep into what others have to say. A lot of former cricketers had questioned Ashwin’s omission given that the conditions at the Oval were likely to change later on. Sunil Gavaskar was livid on hearing that Ashwin would not be playing in the WTC final considering the Australia middle order was left-hand dominant.
Let us take a look at the reactions on Twitter:
I feel bad for him!! How come they pick a X! Based on pitch… The person who is been with the team should create more +ve motivational inspirational atmosphere….
Ashwin kind of person to see him in ground…. Indian team selection now a days unpredictable….
— Hakuna_Matata🤷 (@7__HakunaMatata) June 15, 2023
Politics is what rules Indian cricket sadly, players like Rahul get selected even when he doesn’t perform. Pujara gets selected even though his 100 is also of no use as he takes forever to score them. Rahane plays 2-3 innings in ipl and gets selected for test but…
— Pradeep Kumar (@iamPradeep1977) June 15, 2023
You're the greatest. Dw. Roshit and Dravid are washed anyways
— Mi bombaclat (@aBayernFan) June 15, 2023
What did extra batsman or all rounder did.
Leave the bowling part.
Player like @ashwinravi99 would have faced 150+ balls. atleast he could have dragged to a draw.
How many batsman crossed 100+ balls.
Everyone tried to play a T20/odi knock.
Players like Ashwin, vihari are key.— Hendry Raja (@HendryRaja22) June 15, 2023
We need test specialists. Not part time national players. Ashwin, Virat, Pujara, Rahane, must be the first inclusions. Rest of the team should be made around them. Nothing can beat experience in test cricket.
— Neil (@Neil4Forex) June 15, 2023
The way this man has performed for INDIA and given his everything to the Test Cricket, it would be an honour for him to lift the WTC Mace.
He deserved it more than anyone. I would really like to see him in the next WTC FINAL but this time in the XI lifting the Mace.
— Shivbhakt Abhishek (@Anjaneya_06) June 15, 2023
as a batsman hi khila lete, acha khasa contribute krta.. hindsight ki zarurat hi nai, ye facts hai.
— S (@Fmab96) June 15, 2023
https://twitter.com/ssmudhar1986/status/1669478331471806464?s=20
If the team selection was purely based on conditions, none of the Indian batsmen should have been picked. Wrt Ashwin, he should be the first one to be picked in the eleven. World No 1 bowler gets picked irrespective of the conditions. Dropping him was a Himalayan blunder
— Aravind Viswanath (@Aravindwiz) June 16, 2023
But it's all about conditions man. It was sunny in all 5 days except of that first hour. Pitch as well got better for the Batters to play Pacers & Drier for the spinners to exploit.
Even with that had Ashwin failed, its obvious that 4th Pacer would have also produced same result— Manan (@Manan10678533) June 15, 2023
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